


What If

by elysenpai



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Angst, F/M, Mages, Magic, Reader Insert, Sad Backstory, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Smut, but you are fierce
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-19
Updated: 2019-08-04
Packaged: 2020-01-16 08:33:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,089
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18517783
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elysenpai/pseuds/elysenpai
Summary: You had to make a choice.To go back in the mountains to your peaceful life, teaching next generations to heal and to cast fire spells in case someone would break the strong magical barrier you had set up to defend the clan or…You go back to Skyhold, gift them your wisdom about ancestral healing spells, research medicinal plants and help the mages fight for their organization by learning new and stronger spells.





	1. The Storm Coast: where it all began

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to my Cullen fanfiction. I love that commander so much, I needed my fic, so here we go, enjoy!

 

 

 

> **the storm coast; early afternoon**

_ ‘’Over here!’’   
‘’Don’t let her escape!’’ _

You looked over your shoulder as you ran. The small group of Templars charged towards you, holding their swords above their heads, battle cries erupting from their throats. You managed to distance yourself from them, but it wasn’t enough. The pouring rain made the ground muddy and slippery which slowed you down considerably. You stop dead in your tracks when the tip of your boots edged a steep rocky hill. The Templars were approaching as their roars of anger got louder. You had no choice; you looked down the mountain, took a deep breath and slipped down, praying you would get to the bottom safe and sound.

The rain made the rocks slippery which helped you slide down the hill. The speed of your descend grew faster, and when you arrived at the bottom, you stumbled on rocks and fell into the small stream flowing in the little valley down below. Your entrance in the body of water scared a drinking ram. You could still hear the shoutings of the Templars up on the hill, but at least you were out of threat for now. You had to keep distancing yourself from them -  sooner or later, they would find a way down to you.

You walked deeper into the land and found a small cave. You sheltered yourself in it, shivering in your drenched clothes. You pulled the little strands of loose hair away from your face before sitting down to catch your breath. You cursed yourself for losing your staff in your escape. Scouting further into the cave, away from the light of the entrance, you opened your palm, creating a small flame to make yourself some warmth and light to see your surroundings.

Footsteps echoed from the entrance of the small cavern. You closed your hand in a fist, extinguishing the small flame. You expected to see the rough silhouette of a Templar, but you were greeted with a lean masculine one holding a staff.

_ A mage. _

You exhaled the breath you were holding in. You couldn’t see the complexion of the man slowly approaching with the darkness of the cave.

‘’Miss, are you alright?” The man spoke. He slowly approached you as you stayed still. The cave was small, and you couldn’t run past him to escape. “Are you hurt? Do you need assistance? Stand up, and the ground’s cold and dirty. I can help you if you’re hurt.” He stopped in front of you, extending his hand for you to grab.

You kicked his legs, sending him to the ground. You hurried to your feet, grabbed his staff and ran out of the cave. You heard him shouting, telling you to stop, he just wanted to help, and you didn't have to be scared, but you ignored his words and fled from your shelter. The rain had grown stronger. You heard the rumbling of a nearby storm approaching in the sky. You grip tightened on the staff you had stolen to this mage. You were confident you could escape.

 

While looking behind you to see if the man followed you, you tripped on a root of a tree, and your body was propulsed forward. You let go of the staff as you protect your face in your fall, rolling down a small hill. Your body clasped around a tree, the force almost bending you in half, stealing the air from your lungs. You groaned as you rolled on your back, trying to catch your breath, but the pain in your abdomen was making the task difficult.

‘’Don’t move!’’ You heard a female voice. You looked up, and your eyes met with the sharp point of a sword and a crossbow. You swallowed hard. You were doomed.

‘’Where did you get this staff?” The woman asked. Your gaze traveled from her figure to the dwarf that aimed the crossbow at you. You leaned on your elbows, silent. Suddenly, a large hand grabbed the collar of your shirt and lifted you in the hair. You yelped and tried to kick whoever caught you, hands gripping the front hem of your shirt to prevent yourself from choking.

‘’A feisty one!’’ A deep voice scoffed. Your head snapped in the direction of the sound; a Qunari! You grunted as you tried to kick his chest, your feet barely hitting him, but he was unfazed at your attempt to break free.

“You caught her! Be careful, Bull, she knows how to kick.’’ You recognized the voice from the cave; it was the mage that offered his help. He grabbed his staff that was lying on the ground and walked over to you.

‘’Where are you from? What are you doing here?” The woman asked, sword still pointing towards you. You grunted again as an answer and tried to kick her sword away from you. The giant that was holding you pulled you farther up. You yelped as you saw the ground growing more distant from your feet. You stay silent and stopped wiggling in the air. You huffed in annoyance, your eyes glued to the muddy ground. You blinked away the raindrops that were dripping down your forehead into your eyes, and you shivered. It was getting cold.

“What should we do with her?” Asked the dwarf, lowering his crossbow. The woman finally lowered her sword, putting it away.

“She seemed like she was hiding from someone.” The mage crossed his arms on his chest, eyeing you up and down.

“Am I right?” Your dirty clothes and your flushed face from your runs were giving you away. You still refused to answer and stayed silent. Trusting strangers was not your first instinct.

You heard the Qunari mumbling something under his breath. You glanced at him from the corner of your eyes. You could see he was staring at something. You realized he was probably examining your clan mark on your neck. You hand went to the said mark, and you hid it.

“Let’s bring her with us.” The giant took everyone by surprise, the lady opened her mouth to argue, but the Qunari didn’t let her. “She should meet the advisors and the Inquisitor. She could be useful.”

“Why are you saying that?” The mage asked, raising one eyebrow.

“You will see.” The horned giant smirked. “Trust me on this one.” He looked at his three comrades: The mage sighed and nodded, the woman furrowed her brows and kept glaring at you.

“Whatever you say, Bull.” Said the dwarf. He then looked at his female companion. After a while, she sighed and spun on her heels. “Bring her to Skyhold. If she turns out to be a menace for the Inquisition, you will be held responsible for it.” She walked away followed by the small man as the Qunari, and the mage stayed behind.

“Bull, what’s the meaning of this? She attacked me for no reason-”

“She was scared, probably. Trust me, kadan, she meant no harm.”

“Don’t call me that in the presence of someone else, Bull.” The mage slapped the Qunari’s arm who merely shrugged in return a smirk on his lips. He held you over his shoulder and started walking with the mage besides him. You started pounding your fist on his back, kicking your feet in the air.

“Let me go! I said  _ let me go _ !” You shouted as you tried to wiggle yourself out of his hold. His grip tightened on your waist, preventing you from slipping from his shoulder.

“She can talk!” The giant scoffed. “You’ll exhaust yourself if you keep going.” You ignored his remarked and continued to grunt and try to free yourself. You eventually stopped. It was useless; his grip was too firm for you to escape. As the adrenaline wore off from your body, you started to doze off. You still fought the sleepiness as best as you could since you wanted to see where they were taking you. 

You arrived at a fortress in the snowy mountains. You were still perched the shoulder of the Qunari, drifting in a light slumber, but woken up every time you heard the rumbles of his deep voice in his chest when he talked. The group entered the courtyard of the fortress, the people living there whispered among themselves as you passed by. You avoided their stares by focusing on the ground,  adjusting the collar of your undershirt to cover your neck. You didn’t want any more attention to your mark as you already had.

The group climbed a long flight of stairs and entered the main building of the fortress. Doors opened, and once in a particular room, the giant grabbed your waist and put you down on your feet. You stumbled a bit backward with the force he had put you down, and you spun around on your heels, examining where you were, trying to spot possible exits for you to escape. Unfortunately, there was only the big two doors entrance to the room, and there was the Qunari who stepped back slightly, ready to stop you if you tried to escape. You huffed and crossed your arms, still avoiding the people’s eyes standing in the room. You could sense four more persons, but you intended to stay silent until they let you go.

“What do we have here?” A young masculine voice exclaimed. Anxiety grew in your stomach, spreading to your chest until your whole body started trembling slightly. You were scared of what they would do to you.

“What’s your name?” You stayed silent, your eyes glued to the tips of your muddy boots.

“She refuses to talk.” The woman with the sword said with her thick accent. “We found her at The Storm Coast. Probably running from someone according to the state of her clothes.” Your crossed arms tightened on your chest.

“She attacked Dorian, stole his staff and fled.” Your head snapped up right in the direction of the woman. “We encountered her after she had fallen in her run and Iron Bull suggested that we bring her here. According to him, she would be… interesting to you.” You were doomed. She said you had attacked one of them. They would make you a tranquil and let you rot in the dungeon of the fortress - if they had one.

“I-I didn’t!” You stammered. All eyes turned to you. You uncrossed your arms, keeping them close to your sides, fists forming to hide your trembling hands. “It sounds bad but… I didn’t want to hurt him.” You whispered as you stole a glance to the mage you knocked down. You heard the Qunari behind you scoffing. He had been right.

“Then why did you swept me off of my feet them?” The mage asked, frowning.

You shrugged. “Scared… I guess.” You mumbled.

“I see.” The masculine voice said. The man was standing on the other side of a large wooden table covered by a map representing the country. Besides him stood two other women and a man. All four had their eyes set on you, and you grew uneasy to all the attention.

“Why were you scared? Can you tell me why?” His tone was soft; he was trying to gain your trust. You shifted your weight from one foot to another, feeling the tension in the room. The woman you encountered back at the Storm Coast had her hand on the pommel of her sword, ready to attack if you tried anything. The Qunari was guarding the door, and you knew the mage, and the dwarf would be quick to react if you tried anything. Your eyes met the ones of the man standing across from you. You exhaled the breath you were holding in.

“I was chased… by Templars.” You shifted nervously. “You know the drill when they see apostates wandering alone.” As you revealed what you were, fear engulfed you. You closed your eyes, and you were ready to be seized by either one of them either to kill you or to capture you to imprison you, but nothing. You opened an eye, then the other. The man was smiling at you.

“Why are you scared? We won’t hurt you.” You looked around, and no one had moved. You crossed your arms again.

“I’m an apostate… I’m used to people trying to capture me for… whatever reasons they have.” The man shook his head.

“We’re not like that. We ask questions before we hit” He made his way around the table and stopped in front of you. You took a step back. “I have apostate friends. They are good people. Why wouldn’t you be either?” You raised an eyebrow. “Because I attacked someone working for you?” A small laugh erupted from his throat. 

“He probably deserved it.”

“Hey!” The mage exclaimed. “I offered my help and what I got in return? My butt landing on the mud! It ruined my clothes.” He exhaled.

The man standing in front of you extended his hand, reaching for your shoulder but you dodged it. He held his hands up in defense, a small smile appearing on his lips.

“I won’t hurt you, don’t worry. No contact, I get it. We aren’t acquainted yet.” He dropped his hands. “My name’s Lester. The leader of the Inquisition-”

“Inquisi-what?” The so-called Lester looked at you, his mouth agape.

“As she been living under a rock or something?” You heard the dwarf whispering. Lester held his hand up, gesturing the dwarf to stay silent. His attention focused back on you, and he smiled softly.

“Maybe you need some rest. You seemed like you went through a hard time. We will discuss later.” You furrowed your brows. Later? As in  _ I will stay here, and we will talk then _ ?

Lester smiled again. “Commander, can you escort our visitor to the most comfortable cell in the dungeon, please.” You stepped back, your hands started trembling, and the man noticed.

“Calm down, friend. We still don’t know who you are. It's just to protect ourselves. We don’t know each other, you understand?” You sighed and nodded again. The man across the table made his way to you. “Iron Bull, Cassandra, can you please escort them?” Asked Lester.

“Sure thing, Boss.” Replied the Qunari. The woman - Cassandra - just nodded. 

“Follow me, please.” Said the commander. He walked through the door, and you glanced one last time at the people in the room before leaving. The Qunari followed behind along with the woman as you exited the fortress with the commander. You crossed your arms again on your chest, making sure the mark on your neck was well covered before you stepped down from the last stairs leading to the courtyard as you were brought to the underground dungeon. The commander opened the metal door of the most spacious cell with a loud creak. He motioned with his hand for you to enter.

“Sorry for the lack of warmth, we will bring you covers for the night.”

“Thank you… I guess.” You mumbled as you entered the cell. The door closed behind you, and you jumped at the noise of the lock. You spun on your heels and looked at the commander like a lost child. He smiled softly at you.

“Don’t worry. You won’t be in there for long.” You stayed silent and looked at your surroundings. You heard the footsteps of the small group leaving the dungeons echoing in the small stone hallway. You sat down on the little bed of fortune, pulling your knees to your chest and propped your chin on them.

You felt tears filling up your eyes. You tried to blink them away, but it only made them fall down your cheeks. You laid on your side, still holding your knees close to you.

“Damn,” you whimpered to yourself. “why did I go alone looking for those herbs?” 


	2. The appeasing apparition

> **skyhold ; early morning**

 

You woke up in a jump, the little beads of sweat covering your forehead ran down from your temple to your chin. A dark figure stood in your cell, catching your attention from the corner of your eye. You inhale, ready to scream, but the silhouette held his hands up.

“Don’t.” It whispered. You held your breath, threw the cover off of you and stood up. You got into an offensive pose, ready to attack. A slender young man stood in front of you, his blonde hair and his gaze hidden under a large hat. You closed your trembling hands into fists and exhaled a shaky breath.

“Who are you?” You managed to croak out of your dry throat. You blinked, and suddenly, the young man was standing in front of you, his hand resting softly on top of your head. You jumped in surprise and felt a rush of comfort running through you. Your heartbeat slowed down, and your whole body relaxed. You felt like he could touch every nerve in your body and calm them down. You felt vulnerable as if he could read into your soul like an open book.

“I’m here to help. They won’t hurt you. I can promise you that.” He whispered. “You are too important to them.” His hand now rested on your shoulder.

“Am I?” You whispered back. He nodded. “How do you…” You shook your head slightly. Your eyes met his, and the ambient sounds became silent. You could only hear your breathing as calm enveloped you. You weren’t nervous anymore; you felt at ease and reassured.

“I know.” He answered. “Go back to sleep. I just wanted to comfort you. You needed it.” You nodded slightly and picked up the blanket on the floor. You looked back at him, but he was gone. You gasped and looked around. He was nowhere to be seen. You ran to the cell bars, tried to look in the dark corridor, but no one in sight. That was strange.

You still felt the warmth that spread in you to his touch. You could again feel his hand on your head and your shoulder. You went back to your small fortune bed, pulled the light cover up to your chin and fell back into a deep slumber.

When Cassandra arrived in front of the door of your cell, you were already awake, waiting. You had been for a few hours. The strange meeting of last night was still bugging you in the back of your head. Who was that strange boy that had visited you? How did he get into your cell that easily, without making a sound? The cell door opened with a loud creaking noise. You shook your head. There was no way he could’ve entered without you noticing with the ruckus the metal was doing.

You followed Cassandra back to the room you met Lester, except this time he was alone, his back facing you has he was looking outside through a window. At the sound of the door, he turned his attention to you, and a smile appeared on his lips.

“Thank you, Cassandra. You can leave us.” The woman hesitated before leaving the room, closing the door behind her. You knew she would stay posted right on the other side, listening for any suspects sound that would require her to intervene.

There was a wooden chair in front of the big table. Lester motioned you to take a seat as he did the same on the other side of the table. You hesitated in your firsts steps, then remember the words of the strange man from last night. You exhaled a small shaky breath and made your way to the chair and sat down. Lester laid his hands on the table, his fingers intertwined together.

“So, let’s start with the beginning. What’s your name?”

Your name left your lips after a moment of silence. You thought about giving a fake name, but you decided to be honest and to trust them. The man nodded, a smile spread on his lips. 

“Any last name?” He tipped his head to the side. You didn’t answer. You had long ago stopped using your last name, memories of a past life you weren’t living anymore, and you decided to forget about it. You shook your head.

“One step at the time, am I right?” He said. “So you’re an apostate. That’s interesting. Which clan are you from?” Your hand went briefly on your neck, caressing the mark of your clan tattooed on your skin. You lifted the collar of your shirt to hide it.

“That giant probably told you already.” You answered with a defeated tone. Lester shook his head.

“No, I wanted to hear everything from you.” He laid back in his chair with his leg crossed, ankle balanced on his knee. You glanced around the room, looking at the architecture. This place was huge.

The Inquisitor cleared his throat, and your attention went back to him. You cleared your throat too and looked at the map on the table. The man didn’t know if you were trying to win time or you didn’t want to reveal anything about you, but he stayed patient and waited for you to open up on your own. Forcing you would result in nothing. Lester stood up and went back to the window he was previously staring from, his hands crossed behind his back.

“Maybe I can tell you about me instead? About this place?” He looked at you. As he got no answer, his attention went back to the window. “I’m Lester Trevelyan. You know that family?”

You stood up so fast the chair fell behind you. The name froze the blood in your veins, sending you in a state of panic which made you flee the room. You pushed open the big doors of the room and ran past Cassandra who was guarding the entrance. You heard the Inquisitor shouting behind you, but you needed to leave this place as fast as possible. 

You had heard about the Trevelyan, especially about their ties with the Templars Order. You had been warned to stay away from both of them when you began your life as an apostate at a young age. Fear had gotten the best of you, but were you to blame? All your life you were told Templars were dangerous and you were now thrown in the same room as someone who had a history with them in the middle of the snowy mountains. You ran down the long flight of stairs and ran to the gate as you heard Cassandra shouting orders to the soldiers in the courtyard. Tears filled your eyes, blurring your vision. You wiped your eyes with the sleeve of your shirt but stopped abruptly when your chest connected with an armor. Hands held you by your biceps. You looked up and met the golden orbs of the commander. You felt small in his grasp, feeling yourself shaking from head to toe. You had frozen, looking into his eyes, tears streaming down your face as you started pleading to be left alive.

A group of soldiers circled you both, and you fell out of the commander’s grip as you kneeled, ready to beg for your life. You would be happy with being imprisoned instead of dead. 

“Young lady,” You heard the commander deep voice. “What is happening?” In what mess did you end up in? You had walked straight into the enemy; you were doomed. You feared you hadn’t long to live yet. 

“Don’t hurt her!” You heard the voice of the Inquisitor shouting from the top of the stairs.

“Soldiers, at ease.” You jumped at the order of the commander. He kneeled to your level. You tried to calm the sobs coming out of your throat, but you were too scared to do anything. You had your eyes closed, and you were whispering a small prayer your mother had taught you when you were young. The commander lifted your chin with his gloved fingers, the cold leather making you shiver. You kept your eyes closed, the prayer becoming shakier and interrupted by sobs that became louder.

“She’s scared of Templars.” A familiar voice said.

You opened your eyes and saw the strange boy from last night standing behind the commander. The lather jumped at the sudden apparition of the young boy.

“Maker’s breath,” he cursed. “Announce yourself, please.” You use this small distraction to distance yourself from the man kneeling in front of you by crawling backward. He then looked back at you, his brows furrowed. The commander stood up, and you couldn’t stop your body from shaking.

“I’m begging you, please, don’t kill me. I haven’t done anything wrong.” You cried. “I’m sorry, I didn’t want to attack the mage back there, I-I… Please, put me in a cell for eternity, I- I don’t want to die!” You stammered as more tears wet your cheeks. Your heard fast footsteps approaching.

“Cullen, is she alright?” You heard Lester asking.

You felt a hand on your shoulder and warmth enveloped you. You glanced up and your eyes locked with the stranger’s ones. You heard a name at the back of your mind.

“Cole…” You whispered. The young man nodded and stood up. You looked at the Inquisitor who was standing behind you. When you glanced back to the boy, he was gone. Again.

You felt weak, so you stayed on the ground. You heard the commander ordering to his soldiers to retreat and to get back to their duties. Whispers of the people living in the fortress that was circling the commotion you had made reached your ears. You felt embarrassed, keeping your head low.

“There’s nothing to see here!” Lester shouted. “Get back to your activities!” He exhaled loudly, and his boots appeared in your sight glued to the ground. You shyly looked up, a few small tears escaping your lids. He offered his hands.

“We mean no harm, Miss. Please, you can trust my words.” Your attention got caught by Cole who was standing farther behind, hidden between a couple who was whispering to themselves while looking at you. He nodded slightly. You took a deep breath and took Lester’s hand.

It suddenly became green followed by a sharp electric sound. You backed away with a gasp, feeling an unpleasant tingling in your fingers. He laughs lightly.

“Yeah, we need to talk about that.” He helped you to your feet and squeezed your hand slightly. “I promise you,” his eyes locked with yours. “We will protect you from the Templars. Nobody within these walls will ever harm you.” His other hand went to your shoulder and squeezed it lightly. “Now, let’s get back inside to continue our discussion, shall we?” You nodded. You looked back at Cole. To your surprise, he was still there, looking at you. You smiled at him, and when you blinked, he was gone.

You got back to the room in the fortress - the war council room as Lester called it. You sat back down on your chair, unable to stop your hands from trembling. Instead of sitting across the table, the young man leaned on the table in front of you.

“I understand your fear.” He spoke softly. “But here, in Skyhold, we offer a safe environment for those who seek shelter, no matter where they are from if their intentions are pure.” You started fumbling with your hands. “Which I believe is your case, am I wrong?” You nodded. “And when the party found you back at the Storm Coast, you were running away from Templars, and you taught Dorian was with them.” You furrowed your brows at him. “Dorian, the mage you kicked.” Your cheeks redden of embarrassment, and you nodded slightly. Lester chuckled. “Don’t worry. I think his ego was what was the most wounded out of this encounter.” You let escaped a small chuckle from your lips.

“So,” he said your name with an amused smile on his lips. “What’s your story?” 


	3. The Origin

> **skyhold ; early morning**
> 
>  

 

“Maker’s breathe!” Cursed Lester. “Iron Bull was right; you are interesting.” An amused look appeared on his face, and a smile spread on his lips. You chuckled softly as you felt your cheeks burning. You covered them quickly, not wanting Lester to notice the color spreading on your face. 

You were a member of the Valvar clan, a strong elven clan made of apostate mages people taught long vanished. The Valvarians were known for their powerful healing and fire spells. Most of the founders of the clan were long dead after facing many attacks from Templars, but a small group of survivors managed to isolate themselves in the north of the country and stayed under the radar for years, growing in number and stronger. Your clan always sought peace and offered a helping hand to anyone in need, but since you were under no Circle, you were considered as apostates and Templars followed the rules to kill on sight or to imprison without question. You had lost a lot of family and friends along the way, the fear of getting caught only growing stronger. 

You were part of the clan, but not by blood. Your parents were from a Circle of Magi in which you grew in for the first years of your life, started learning magic according to their rules, but a rather sad incident made you leave at a young age, leaving you with a scar that extended from your cheekbone to your upper lip. You had to forget about your father and your mother, all your friends you had made through the short time you were alive. You had escaped your fate in the mountains, trying to flee the Templars from certain death. You had met a kind elven woman who rescued your frozen self. After healing you and learning about your adventure, she decided to keep you under her wing and continue your learning of magic. She was the closest you had to a mother as she remembered you of your biological one. You felt at home with the Valvarians, and you grew stronger and more confident in your magic with the years. 

Time passed, and you became an important member of the clan, having learned everything there was to the healing spells and potions, you had started to teach the children who wished to learn about the subject you mastered. You had discovered new remedies for poisons that were incurable for years, you had treated fire wounds at an incredible speed, but this was all thanks to your master and motherly figure. 

Life was good. You had forgotten about the sad events that had happened a few years prior at the Circle, until a group of Templars had found your hidden village and invaded it, killing and leaving chaos behind them. Most of the members of the clan had escaped without any damages, but a few had fallen, including the kind woman who raised and taught you everything you knew. Her death birthed a strong hatred towards Templars and any groups that were dictated to act violently towards another group. After that night of chaos and destruction, the remaining members of the Clan Valvar had to rebuild themselves deeper into the mountains into some dark crevasses where no man had ever step foot before. You had help along with other strong Valvarians to create a barrier that would prevent any more surprise attacks of the sort happening. There was no designated leader, but the elders were a strong opinion within the clan. 

You learned from the kindness of your guardian and spread it as much as you could. Hatred would only bring you down. You refused to give in to that awful emotion. You wanted to spread greatness and love around you and you started by rebuilding your clan stronger, wiser. These noble values earned you a respectable place among the clan; people respected you and spoke highly of you.

You had been granted the Clan mark not too long ago. Since you weren’t born from parents with Valvar blood, you weren’t marked at your birth like the other children. When you had finished your training with your guardian, she and the elders valued yourself loyal enough to the Clan as if you were born from within it. You had been marked, making you the first human ever to enter the elven clan; a small upward crescent moon with a small letter v in a circle had been tattooed on your neck. 

As you told your story to Lester, your chest started to feel heavy, pain clouding your mind. You had left behind your family, the ones who loved you and trusted you and they had no idea were you went. They were undoubtedly waiting for your return.  As Lester spoke of Skyhold and the Inquisition, it was as if you were to stay forever. You swallowed hard as he was thinking out loud as to where they would make your apartments. You stood up, taking him by surprise. He stopped in his rambling and looked at you with a smile.

“I can’t stay.” You said. His smile faded, and he looked at you with knitted eyebrows.

“What do you mean?” He asked. You avoided his gaze. You didn’t want to see the disappointment in his eyes. You were a skilled healer, you would have been a great addition to the Inquisition and would have significantly helped, but you couldn’t abandon those who had their entire trust in you back in the mountains. Your clan, your friends, your family. Your everything.

“My clan is waiting for me. I- I can’t stay here. They need me. I’m sorry, Inquisitor, but I have to refuse your offer.” His shoulders dropped, but an idea popped in his head, you could see the excitement in his eyes.

“We can form an alliance! You go back to your people, and we can protect you, we can-”

“No.” You sharply answered. “It’s too dangerous. We survived one massacre. We won’t survive another if the word spread that we are still alive. I kindly ask of you to leave my clan and me alone and to respect my decision. Also, you must tell no soul about our existence. Our survival depends on that.” Lester looked at you in disbelief.

“How can you ask me that? The greatest clan of healers that the world taught long gone is among us and we can’t… profit of their knowledge? Of their aid? Who knows how many lives in battles could’ve been saved if we knew you guys were still alive?” You shook your head. It might be unfair, but you couldn’t risk the extinction of your clan. There would always be someone with vile intentions to try to eradicate your kind or capture its members. You shivered at this horrible thought.

“I’m sorry. I can’t do this.” You stepped toward him and put your hand on his shoulder. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Inquisitor. I’m sorry for what I’m about to do.”

“What are you-.” You placed the palm of your other hand to his forehead and Lester fell into a deep slumber. You caught him as his feet gave up under him, and you laid him on the floor. You then placed your fingers on his temples, pressing lightly, you let the magic flow. You couldn’t take for granted he would follow your wish and keep quiet about your roots. You had erased his memories, hoping you hadn’t erased too much, only your discussion. You got up, looked at him one last time and exited the room, closing the door behind you.

You made your way outside. You couldn’t leave by the main gates, and you would arouse suspicions. You walked in the courtyard looking for a way out, walking along the walls to erase you as much as possible. You spotted a demolished wall on the far right of the Skyhold fortress. You strolled not to attract attention. You approached the hole, looked around you. When you were sure no one was looking, you climbed up the ruins swiftly and jumped on the other side of the wall. 

You slid down the side of the mountain. You reached the bottom and ran in the fluffy snow as fast as you could. You looked behind at the fortress guarding the mountains. You felt your heart squeezing in your chest, but you had made the right decision. People were waiting for you back home. The Inquisition wouldn’t miss you like them. You began your journey home.


End file.
